Stewardship Financial Corporation Announces Second Quarter

MIDLAND PARK, NJ --(Marketwired - August 04, 2016) - Stewardship Financial Corporation ( NASDAQ : SSFN ), parent company of Atlantic Stewardship Bank, announced net income available to common shareholders for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 of $1.4 million and $2.4 million, respectively, as compared to net income available to common shareholders of $1.1 million and $1.8 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively.

Commenting on results, Paul Van Ostenbridge, Stewardship Financial Corporation's President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "Solid earnings continue to be the result of our efforts on originating quality loans and growing deposits appropriately."

Operating Results

The Corporation reported net interest income of $5.9 million and $11.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively, compared to $5.5 million and $10.9 million for the comparable prior year periods. The net interest margin for the current three and six month periods was 3.38% and 3.24%, respectively, compared to 3.40% for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015. The current year net interest income and margin includes the impact of the $16.6 million of Subordinated Notes issued in August 2015 and the subsequent redemption of preferred stock. While the cost of the Subordinated Notes added a total of $296,000 and $593,000 of interest expense to the current three and six month periods, respectively, such increases, on an after tax basis, are less than the dividends that would have accrued on the preferred stock. The rate on the preferred stock would have been 4.56% until March 1, 2016, when the dividend rate on the preferred stock would have increased and become fixed at 9%. Offsetting the increase from the Subordinated Notes, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, net interest income included approximately $450,000 of nonrecurring interest recoveries and prepayment premiums on loans. Overall, the net interest rate spread and net interest margin for the current year periods reflects an overall decline in loan interest rates -- a result of the historically low market rates in the current environment.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, noninterest income was $832,000 and $1.7 million, respectively, compared to $882,000 and $1.8 million for the equivalent prior year periods. The $149,000 decrease for the six months ended June 30, 2016, reflects the fact that noninterest income included only $56,000 of gains on calls and sales of securities compared to $152,000 in the comparable prior year period. In addition, the six months ended June 30, 2016 included only $6,000 of gains on sales of other real estate owned compared to $53,000 of gains during the six months ended June 30, 2015.

Noninterest expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 was $5.0 million and $9.9 million respectively, compared to $5.1 million and $10.2 million in the comparable prior year periods. "We continue to be diligent in our expense control and, after careful review of branch activity, effective July 9, 2016, our two Hawthorne branches have been consolidated," Van Ostenbridge stated.

Asset Quality

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, results were positively impacted by the Corporation recording negative provisions for loan losses of $450,000 and $800,000, respectively, compared to negative provisions for loan losses of $600,000 and $700,000 for the comparable prior year periods. For 2016, the negative provisions for the three and six month periods were partially driven by $298,000 and $365,000, respectively, of net recoveries of previously charged off loan balances. Furthermore, nonperforming loans continue to decline and were just $949,000, or 0.18% of total loans at June 30, 2016 compared to $1.9 million, or 0.36%, at December 31, 2015. Total nonperforming assets of $1.8 million, which includes other real estate owned, also showed continued improvement and represented just 0.24% of total assets at June 30, 2016 compared to 0.38% at December 31, 2015.

Balance Sheet / Financial Condition

As of June 30, 2016, total assets reached $742.6 million, reflecting a larger balance sheet when compared to assets of $717.9 million at December 31, 2015. New loan originations, partially offset by normal principal amortization and payoffs, resulted in net growth in the loan portfolio of $11.7 million. "Loan growth, based on prudent underwriting, continues to be our number one focus", stated Van Ostenbridge.

Funding of the loan growth has been supported by deposit growth. Total deposits grew to $626.5 million at June 30, 2016, an increase of $21.7 million when compared to deposits of $604.8 million at December 31, 2015.

Regulatory capital levels, at June 30, 2016, continue to significantly exceed the requirements for a "well capitalized" institution with a tier 1 leverage ratio of 7.78% (4% requirement) and total risk based capital ratio of 14.26% (8% requirement).

About Stewardship Financial Corporation

Stewardship Financial Corporation's subsidiary, the Atlantic Stewardship Bank, has 11 banking offices in Midland Park, Hawthorne, Montville, North Haledon, Pequannock, Ridgewood, Waldwick, Wayne (2), Westwood and Wyckoff, New Jersey. The bank is known for tithing 10% of its pre-tax profits to Christian and local charities. To date, the Bank's tithe donations total $8.8 million.

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The information disclosed in this document contains certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and may be identified by the use of such words as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "plan," "estimate," and "potential." Examples of forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, estimates with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Corporation that are subject to various factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these estimates. These factors include: changes in general, economic and market conditions, legislative and regulatory conditions, or the development of an interest rate environment that adversely affects the Corporation's interest rate spread or other income anticipated from operations and investments.